Curtain-pole.



C. L. KUHL.

CURTAIN POLE.

APPLIUATION FILED FEB. 26, 1909.

Patented June 21, 1910.

STTES aren o CARL L. KUI-IL, OF WILMINGTON, NORTH CAROLINA.

CURTAIN-POLE.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented June 21, 1910.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CARL L. KUHL, a citizen of the United States, residing at lVilmington, in the county of New Hanover, State of North Carolina, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Curtain-Poles; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

rlhis invention relates to improvements in curtain poles, more particularly to poles employed for suspending lambrequins, portier-es and like articles, and has for one of its objects to provide a simply constructed device of this character whereby the curtains may be moved in both directions longitudinally of the pole from one end thereof.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists in certain novel features of construction as hereafter shown and described and then specifically pointed out in the claim, and in the drawings illustrative of the preferred embodiment of the invention, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a portion of a window casing with the improved device supported therefrom. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section enlarged of the improved device, upon the line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2. Fig. et is a transverse section, enlarged, on the line 1 -1- of Fig. 3, looking in the direction of the arrow. Fig. 5 is a transverse section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 3, looking in the direction of the arrow.

lhe pole portion of the improved device may be constructed of any suitable material, and of any suitable size, and it is not desired therefore to limit this portion of the device to any speciiic material. For the purpose of illustration the pole portion of the device is represented as a whole at 10, and formed of wood. The pole is provided with a longitudinal slot 11 enlarged laterally at the inner side as shown at 12, or T shaped transversely, The pole is provided with the usual ornamental knobs 1314 at the ends, one of the knobsfor instance the knob 14C, being provided with an interior cavity 15 in which cable or cord guide pulleys 16-17 are mounted for rotation, while another cable or cord guide pulley 18 is located within the laterally extended head portion 12, of the slot at the opposite end of the pole, the object to be hereafter explained. The pole 10 is supported by brackets 19H20 from the window casing represented conventionally at 21. When the pole is constructed of wood or like material the slot 11-12 will preferably be lined with sheet metal 22 to prevent undue wear from the moving parts. Slidably arranged within the head portion 12 of the slot are a plurality of traveler devices, each traveler preferably formed of a circular disk 23, and each disk provided with a depending stud 24 having a ball like terminal 25, the latter located within the narrower portion 11 of the slot. Depending from each of the ball like portions 25 is a curtain suspending device, preferably formed from a single piece of wire 26 bent centrally upon itself and formed with a lateral loop 27 at its bend, the loop providing a convenient means for connecting the curtain supporting devices such as pins 28. The terminal traveler disks 23 are connected respectively at 29 30 to the pole at its ends.

The travelers 23 are arranged in two series, the Atravelers of one series being coupled by flexible elements such as chains 31, while the travelers of the other series are coupled by similar flexible elements such as chains 32. The inner terminal travelers of the two series are designed to be located in close proximity when moved inwardly to the center of the pole as represented in Figs. 2 and 3, and are designed to be moved outwardly or in opposite directions toward the ends of the pole, the flexible elements permitting this movement of the travelers. A pull cord or cable 33'is coupled at 34 to the inner terminal traveler of one of the series and passes thence over the guide pulley 13 and thence longitudinally of the pole within the slot, and coupled at 40 to the inner terminal traveler of the other set of travelers, and also connected at Ll0 to the last-mentioned inner terminal traveler is another pull cord or cable 35 which is extended thence throughout the remainder of the slot and over the guide pulley 16. Another pull cord 4:1 is connected at 34 to one of the terminal travelers 23 and leads thence throughout the T head portion of the slot and around the guide pulley 17. The terminals of the pull cord are provided with tassels or other similar devices, and will preferably be of different colors to guide the operator, as hereafter explained.

Each of the disks 23 is provided with an upwardly directed perforated hub 36, and suspended within the cavity 12 -of the pole is a guide rod 37, the guide rod extending through the hubs 36, and supported at the ends within the pole as shown at 88-39. By this means the carrier members are supported from deflection under the weight of the curtain. Y

With the device thus constructed and with the curtains connected respectively to the series of the travelers by means of the connecting devices 26 and the pins 28, the curtains may be drawn toward the center of the pole by pulling upon the cord 35, or drawn in the opposite direction toward the ends of the pole by pulling upon the cord 41', as will be obvious. Thus when it is desired to close the curtains the operator draws downwardly upon the depending portion of the pull cord 35, which action draws the traveler members inwardly toward each other until they meet centrally of the pole, thus locating the curtains with their confronting edges in close relation or'overlapping, and when it is desired to reverse the position of the curtains the operator draws downwardly upon the other cord or cable 41 which action draws the curtains in opposite directions or toward the ends of the pole, the flexible connecting member 31-32 permitting the travelers to be grouped at opposite ends of the pole.

By lining the T shaped slot with the sheet metal member 22 the travelers are caused to move with less friction and do not produce undue Vwear upon the material of the pole.

The improved device is simple in construction, can be inexpensively manufactured,

and applied to poles constructed from vari-Y ous materials and of Various sizes and lengths. 1

The improved device may be readily applied to curtains of various sizes, and'applied to single curtains if preferred.

The poles may be formed of glass, plaster of paris, metal or wood as may be preferred.

l/Vhat is claimed, is A device of the class described comprising a pole having an open longitudinal slot enlarged laterally at theinner side to form spaced tracks, a guide rod supported within said slot, a plurality of disks movable in said slot and upon said tracks, each disk being provided with a guide element slidably engaging said guide rod, flexible e'lements arranged to couple said disks, a curtain supporting device depending from each disk, and moving means connected to the said disks.

In testimony whereof, I afx my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

- CARL L. KUHL. Vi tnesses Y R. G. RANKIN, Jr., A. L. MoNoRToN. 

